by Rick Jones
“Maybe with the information in the files,” she said, “the end is closer than you think.”
Kimball turned to look at the monitors. The Vatican Knights were being questioned upstairs. But he knew they’d get a pass not only from the federal government, but also from the Vatican, who seemed to hold some sway in particular matters.
“There was a woman,” Kimball finally said, still watching the screens. “Short. She appeared to be the head of the organization. The one I thought to be Hydra. But Hydra was a term for all of them. Nevertheless, I believed she governed this particular cell. And she came down here. I watched her. So when I was able to break free I followed her trail down to this room. But she was gone. That’s when I saw that you were about to die.”
“But you saved me, Kimball…Again.”
“If anything happened to you, Shari, anything at all…I’d be destroyed with no coming back.” After the admission, Kimball walked away from the monitors without looking in Shari’s direction, and joined his team on the floor above them.
CHAPTER FIFTY
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport
After the incident at The Senate House had been aired over every possible TV news channel, Jennifer Antle knew that the files and data had been appropriated by law enforcement, and would be analyzed until everything about the Nocturnal Saints had been exposed. International agencies like Interpol would get involved and would incorporate other agencies such as MI6 and the CIA. The circle would begin to close. But that was all right, she considered inside the airport, as she waited for her international flight under her new name of Linda White, her seventh name over her lifetime as a Nocturnal Saint.
After landing in Dallas-Fort Worth from the Thurgood Marshall Airport in Maryland, she boarded an international flight and headed for Brazil where 130 million people were self-declared Catholics, to start anew. There she would shed the name of Jennifer Antle like a second skin and become Linda White. And there she would rebuild a new hub to work from. The Nocturnal Saints are far from over, she told herself. We’ve been around for five hundred years…And we’ll be around for a lot longer.
Once the flight took off and the plane was no longer in American airspace, Jennifer Antle was forever gone as Linda White took her place. She was now a woman of academic achievements and a professor of religious studies. She already had a recorded history that was entirely counterfeit, with a few college degrees that had been embedded in the computer systems of the colleges of her choice, mainly from Ivy League institutes that were tailored to fit her ego. She was also fifty-one years of age, which was three years younger than her real date of birth, also tailored to fit her vanity.
Now a professor of religious studies, Linda White smiled as the plane finally landed in Rio de Janeiro. When it was her turn to hand her passport over to the clerk, he took it without emotion, examined the photo, the information, examined her face, the photo once again, and then asked, “Your purpose for visiting Brazil?
Business or pleasure?”
“Business,” she said. “It’s always business.”
Accepting her answer, the clerk stamped her passport and handed it back.
After thanking the man, Linda White, a scholar from an Ivy League school, left the airport with dreams of rebuilding a new order from the old.
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
The Archdiocese
Temple Hills Section, Washington, D.C.
After the investigation at The Senate House wrapped up with people like Cecil Cooper being questioned at the hospital by authorities as to his possible collusions with a terrorist faction, whereas others offered little to nothing or disappeared altogether, Kimball Hayden and his team had been called back to the Vatican.
As he gathered his things inside his room at the archdiocese, there was a light rapping on the door, so Kimball opened it. Cardinal Bishop was standing there with a faint smile on his face, which gave him somewhat of a cherubic veneer to hide something that was truly dark underneath.
“May I come in?” he asked.
“Of course.” Kimball opened the door wide in invitation.
Once the cardinal was inside, Kimball closed the door behind him.
“Something I can do for you, Cardinal?”
“I just wanted to offer you my thanks,” he said. “Especially about keeping my admissions private.”
“You know, Cardinal, it might be better to confess your—and I’m not going to say sins—guilt to others who wear the cloth.”
The cardinal shook his head at this. “The shame is too great, I’m afraid. God knows what I’ve done. And I feel that only He can and will judge me for the things I have done. Right now, like you, I will always chase forgiveness hoping that I have done enough in the end to make up for what I have done in the past. Perhaps, Kimball, we will both see the Light someday, yes?”
Kimball balked a moment before answering. “Yeah, maybe,” he said. “Maybe we will.”
The cardinal held his hand out for Kimball to take. “Thank you for all you’ve done. You’ll never know how much I appreciate what you’ve done for me. I was informed that I had been the target of the Nocturnal Saints, as were you. So in the end, Kimball, you saved me more than just one way.” After nodding his appreciation to Kimball, he then said, “You have a safe trip.” Then the cardinal left the room.
Kimball returned to packing, took one last look at his chamber before exiting with his bag over his shoulder, and headed for the master room where his team was waiting. Jeremiah and Isaiah were looking fresh, each man having taken a seat with their legs crossed in leisure. Elijah was leaning against the fireplace wearing a gauze patch across his throat where he had nearly been sliced, as he leaned against the fireplace. Shari Cohen was there as well. The beauty almost too much for Kimball to bear, as he always felt his heart hitch whenever he was in her presence.
She walked to him. “I was told that you were called back to the Vatican.”
He smiled, showing off his teeth. “Something’s come up, like always.”
“Mind if we take a walk?”
Kimball looked at the faces of his teammates, who offered smiles and grins.
He even got a wink from Isaiah.
“Sure.”
They walked slowly along the hallway and towards the front door.
“I want to thank you for saving my life,” she said. “It seems that when things for me are at their worst, you’re always there for me. Even when you’re not there…I can still feel you.”
Kimball remained silent as he walked along beside her with his hands clasped behind the small of his back.
“I just wanted you to know that we’ve been rooting through the evidence. The Nocturnal Saints have breached every part of society,” she said. “I mean we’re talking judges, lawyers, physicians, congressmen, representatives, teachers, CEOs, the list goes on and on.” Then she turned to him with bruises showing on her throat. “We even found members within the Vatican,” she added. “Two members of the Holy See and a cardinal. That information has been passed on to the Vatican.”
Kimball nodded. “And the guy named Darce Earl. What will happen to him?”
“He’ll be charged with attempted murder. Whether or not the charge sticks remains to be seen. But it’s over, Kimball.”
“It’s not over yet,” he said. “Many will go into hiding and resurface under new names and identities. And when they do…they’ll come after me to finish what they started.”
“No,” she said. “Interpol’s now involved. And the FBI is looking into the politicians that were listed on the files. Thumb screws are being turned, Kimball. We can stop this.”
Kimball wanted to believe this. But he couldn’t. Not during the early stages since optimism didn’t run deep in him.
When they reached the front door, they stopped.
They looked at each other with glitter in their eyes, with sparks of mutual respect.
Opening the door and standing on the brick threshold, Shari gave him a beaming smile that lit her face as if it was surrounded by a halo. Once again she waved her phone to let him know that she would be a call away, no matter how far the distance was between them. “Just one touch of the button,” she said to him.
“That’s all it takes.”
And then she was gone, the door closing behind her.
With his hands clasped behind the small of his back, Kimball waited for the door to reopen once more with Shari standing within its frame. But after fifteen minutes without it doing so, he returned to the master suite with his head lowered.
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
The Apostolic Palace
Inside the Pontiff’s Chamber
Vatican City
Upon the return of the Vatican Knights to Rome, along with Sister Godwin who still felt the effects of her concussion, Kimball Hayden was summoned to the Apostolic Palace where the pontiff resided.
Inside the pope’s chamber, as Kimball waited in a seat before the pontiff’s desk, Pope John Paul III entered the room while sending his thanks to Kimball for waiting, and took his seat.
“Thank you for coming, Kimball. I know you must be tired after a long trip back.”
Kimball’s features remained neutral.
“I’ve asked you here for a couple of reasons,” the pontiff said. “And I hope you’ll hear me out.”
“Of course.”
The pontiff leaned forward. “As you know, my viewpoints are rather liberal. And for that I have ruffled a few feathers within the College of the Cardinals, where I don’t shine very brightly in their eyes at the moment. So my question to you, Kimball, and it’s important that you be candid with me, is to know if your indifference to me is tied to those very same viewpoints I hold? Because your indifference toward me has pained me greatly. And that pain is due to the fact that I hold you dear inside my heart.”
Ever since Bonasero Vessucci—who was the previous pope—died, and was like a biological father to Kimball, Kimball had drawn distance from Pope John Paul III the day he had been named the new pontiff, which was something Kimball didn’t mean to do.
“Your Holiness, I could care less about your personal views. I don’t care if you break away from the traditional learning of the Bible. I don’t care if you reach out to those who need support due to bad decisions that some people may have made in the past.” Then he hesitated before saying, “Because if Bonasero didn’t reach out to me for the things I’ve done, I never would have been saved. And you, Your Holiness, reach out to people just like me and give them hope, and you let them know that bad choices don’t always make for bad people.”
“Then why the distance between us?”
“It’s nothing against you,” Kimball told him. “It’s whenever I see you…you remind me that Bonasero is gone and he’ll never be back. You remind me of the loss I feel inside.”
“I’m so sorry, Kimball.”
“It’s not your fault, Your Holiness. But truth be known…I’m not sure I can close that gap between us, even though you’re a good man. And you are,” he said.
“You’re a good man.”
With that being said, Kimball stood up and left the chamber, the Vatican Knight closing the door softly behind him.
EPILOGUE
The Tombs beneath Saint Peter’s Basilica
Vatican City
After his discussion with the pontiff, Kimball went to the tombs beneath the basilica. First he visited the Tomb of Leviticus and spoke to his former brother, as if he was still alive and clinging to every word that was passing through Kimball’s lips. After twenty minutes of a deep and one-sided conversation, he moved on to Bonasero’s tomb and sat on the steps that led to his vault. “I just spoke with Leviticus,” he said, his voice echoing throughout the cavern. “Now it’s your turn.” He removed the cleric band from his collar and began to toy with it between his fingers. “I miss you,” he said. “And I’m so lost without you. The one who took your place is a good soul and a good person. But he’s not you, Bonasero, and he never will be.”
A hand alit on Kimball’s shoulder from behind, the touch filling the Vatican Knight with an indescribable peace.
Kimball, however, kept his eyes on the tomb that encased Bonasero, always looking forward instead of behind.
“It’s all right, Kimball,” said the voice, which sounded like Bonasero but didn’t. “Men must understand that the greatest lessons are learned through pain.
And that all men must take their suffering, learn from it, and turn it into something positive.”
“Positive? Every time I take one step towards the Light…I do something that puts me two steps behind.”
“Perhaps, Kimball. But life can be a struggle. If free will is granted to all men like yourself, then you must use it as a tool to do what you believe is right. So in your eyes, when you take these two steps backwards towards the Darkness, do you believe it’s for the benefit of yourself and to others?”
“Sometimes.”
“Never second guess yourself, Kimball. Act accordingly to what your free will suggests. Even God recognizes the fact that good men must stand up to evil using methods to help good people who are unable to protect themselves. Go with your instinct and never doubt your actions. Believe in yourself…And believe in the Light.”
Then the hand was gone. The feeling of warmth and peace that was absolute was also gone, leaving behind a terrible vacuum inside.
When Kimball turned to see the man with the enchanted touch, he knew the hallway would be empty and that nobody would be there.
Turning back to the vault, Kimball Hayden fitted the cleric band into his collar, making sure it was fitted properly, and held a very long and isolated discussion with Bonasero’s tomb.
THE END
Table of Contents
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
CHAPTER FORTY
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
CHAPTER FIFTY
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
EPILOGUE
Table of Contents
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
CHAPTER FORTY
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
CHAPTER FIFTY
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
EPILOGUE